Jockey Bill Hartack on Decidedly, right, goes under the wire to win the Kentucky Derby in the record time of 2 minutes, 2/5 seconds, May 5, 1962 in Louisville, Kentucky at Churchill Downs. Roman Line, hidded, was second, Ridan (9) was third and Sir Ribot, left, was fourth. (AP Photo)

Much has been written the past several weeks about California Chrome, who on Saturday will try to become the first California-bred horse in 52 years to win America’s most famous horse race.

Yes, it’s been quite a while since a California foal won the Kentucky Derby. Last time it happened – May 5, 1962 – gasoline was 25 cents a gallon, Angels left-hander Bo Belinsky pitched the first major league no-hitter on the West Coast and the soundtrack album for “West Side Story” went to No. 1.

The Beatles were just four days shy of signing their first contract with Parlophone Records, Stan Musial would break Honus Wagner’s National League record for most hits two weeks later and Bill Hartack rode a Cal-bred son of Determine to a 2 1/4-length victory in the Derby at Churchill Downs.

We’ve learned quite a bit about California Chrome recently, but not so much Decidedly, a gray colt who was dismissed at 8-1 odds on that first Saturday in May. He sat 10th early on in the 15-horse field and moved up to fifth after the first mile before making a wide, decisive move at the head of the stretch.

Decidedly’s winning time for the mile and a quarter was 2:00 2/5 – a Derby record at the time. Roman Line, a 26-1 longshot, finished second and even-money favorite Ridan was third. Bill Shoemaker came home fifth aboard Sunrise Country, the 5-2 second choice, and Johnny Longden rode 49-1 shot Green Hornet to a seventh-place finish.

The Derby winner was a non-factor in the Preakness and Belmont, finishing off the board in both races. He won 2 of 12 starts as a 3-year-old, 5 of 13 races at 4 and 2 of 10 at the age of 5. Overall, he won 11 of 43 starts with nine seconds and four thirds for earnings of $318,989.

Decidedly was anything but a standout, but by no means was he a fluky Derby winner as some have described Giacomo and Mine That Bird. He went on to set a Keeneland course record for 1 1/16 miles while winning the Ben Ali Handicap at age 4 and he enjoyed quite a bit of success as a stallion, siring 19 stakes winners.

Hartack was no stranger to Derby success, sharing the record with Eddie Arcaro for most victories with five. But according to the late Joe Hirsch, nobody shined in the Run for the Roses quite like Hartack, who died at 74 in 2007.

“He was the greatest Derby rider in history, won five of 12,” the former racing columnist and friend of Hartack’s told the Daily Racing Form before his death. “He could make a judgment that was just genius, and make it quickly. He moved before most of the fellows had decided what to do.”

Interestingly, he hated being called Willie because of his dislike for Shoemaker. He became the country’s leading jockey by his third year of riding. In addition to his Derby victories, he also won the Preakness three times and the Belmont once. He might have ridden a record sixth Derby winner, but two weeks before the race in 1958 he broke a leg and had to give up the mount on Tim Tam, who won the race.

Hartack rode between 1953 and 1974 in the U.S., riding 4,272 winners. He raced in Hong Kong from 1978 to 1980 before retiring in 1981. He led the nation in races won four times and was the first jockey with purse earnings of $3 million in a season. He worked as a steward at many tracks after his retirement and graced the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time magazine during a career where he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1959 at age 27.

Decidedly’s trainer, Horatio Luro, didn’t win as many Derbies as Hartack but was equally as accomplished.

Luro was born into a wealthy Argentine family in 1901 that had been involved with horses for several generations. Described as a playboy, he moved to America and eventually became friends with Canada’s E.P. Taylor, an elite businessman, the founder of the Jockey Club of Canada and eventually the president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

During a career that spanned from 1937 to 1984, Luro trained 43 stakes winners and three champions. He won both the Derby and Preakness with Northern Dancer in 1964 and also trained three Canadian International Stakes winners — Eugenia II (1956), Spinney (1957) and One For All (1971).

Luro also oversaw the breeding of Nijinsky II from 1960 to 1969 while running Windfields Farm, which during that period won more races than any breeding farm in North America. He trained three horses that won Canada’s Queen Plate, that country’s most prestigious horse race.

Luro, friends with Bing Crosby, dated some of the most glamorous women in Hollywood. He was inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame in 1980 and died in 1991.

Now we have California Chrome, jockey Victor Espinoza and trainer Art Sherman. Maybe 50-something years from now, they’ll be looking back at Saturday’s 140th running of the Kentucky Derby and examining the careers of the aforementioned trio.

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